Moon jar

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Moon jars have become national icons, inspiring the shape of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic cauldron and garnering record-breaking prices at auction. Thus it may be surprising that during the Joseon period these vessels were utilitarian objects, referred to as daeho (literally “big jar”), and fell out of vogue in the 1800s. Rediscovered in the twentieth century and called moon jars for their evocative forms, they are adored by many for unintentional features acquired during firing, such as asymmetry or the final hue. Because moon jars are made by joining two hemispheres, each example has a unique shape.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art